Angels in Santa Monica
by N.L Strife
Summary: Between his brother's wedding, and his busy job, the last thing Levi needed was an angel crash landing in his backyard. But, of course, the universe gave him one anyway
1. Angel in Angeles

He had never been a man of religion. It wasn't how he was raised, nor what he eventually learned. He told people that he had '_seen too much of the world'_ to be able to believe. As an ex-soldier, this was the truth. He had seen hell caused by his kind. He was rapidly losing faith in humanity. Why would tie himself to a higher power when he couldn't trust his own species?

People usually accepted this with a firm nod, and left him alone. Each man to their own. If he didn't believe then he simply _did not believe._ It was natural. It was how he functioned.

But Hanji Zoe refused to accept such a thing.

_30 times._ She had tried to get him to go to a Reform Jew synagogue _thirty times_ in a single doctor's appointment.

_"Levi! Just try it! If you're not into it then I won't bother you anymore!"_

Scowling, the 29-year old jammed his keys into the door of his house. The jingle the action made was wasted on deaf ears as he pushed the door open.

Pristine, white walls and floors surrounded him as he marched in. He didn't bother to remove his boots or his black overcoat and immediately washed his hands in order to make tea.

Levi lived alone. The only family he had around was man by the name of Erwin Smith, and that was only his adoptive elder brother. Since his own parents were deceased, and Erwin's parents lived in Australia, they were all they had within the states.

Irvin had an apartment building somewhere in Malibu. It was usually clean when he came over, which Levi appreciated, but when Erwin's fiancée moved in that definitely would not be happening again.

_Hanji fucking Zoe._

With a vengeance, he shut off the oven just as the kettle whistled.

He didn't need that woman stressing him out over religion every time he saw her! He had two homicide cases he still had to solve and write out detailed reports for! Detective work was stressful enough.

Hopefully when she and Erwin finally tied the knot she'd _calm the fuck down._

Levi inwardly raged, but his expression remained apathetic. Dark navy eyes glanced outside the window above the sink, taking in the view.

His house was blocked out from the rest of society by heavy foliage. Trees and bushes he had planted himself provided solace and solitude: the two things he needed most in the busy town. He built his own walls, locked himself in, and allowed no one to come crashing in.

Forcing down the inner voice that criticized this decision, calling him a 'lonely boy', he sipped at his drink.

The evening sky was a deep Oxford blue, dotted every so often with white orbs and streaks that served as stars.

City lights didn't obscure the view, and he loved it. It was like a private showing meant only for him. This was the only spot in Santa Monica that one could see the stars, which he was aware of at least.

Beams of white shot like lighting across the sky, bringing a faint air of wonder to rise.

Oh? He wasn't informed that there was to be a show like this. Hanji usually knew of these astronomical things. She would've told him about them in great detail in advance whilst begging him to allow her to visit and watch the sight.

Perhaps she hadn't known.

Coal black eyes uninterestedly watched the white dashes speed away.

It was as if they were children racing, or playing a vigorous game of tag.

A lean star was first in a group of four. Green and gold dust seared behind it, leaving a bright trail. Immediately on its trail was a fast, petite flash of electric blue and pink sparks. It left no trail, as its precedent had, but it appeared to have faltered for a slight second, allowing a long view.

The final two shooting stars were the slowest. The blue and green were already long gone by the time they crossed Levi's line of vision. The speedier one was a shot of orange, pushing across the sky as a normal star would. The last was the biggest.

A large ball of white, surrounded around the edges with a deep scarlet. He would've assumed that this was an airplane but it was following the same path its friends took.

He shot a subconscious glare the huge orb until it finally passed the final tree.

Nothing was left except that beautiful green and gold mark against his blue sky.

The spectacle finally over and his tea finished, Levi turned on his heel to go about his daily evening chores.

Rolling up his sleeves, he began to wash his tea cup and absentmindedly glanced outside the window.

He didn't register the comet flying towards him at first. Or rather, he didn't want to register it. Diligently, he wrung out the sponge, set both it and the cup in their proper location, and then took a moment to breath.

Then he looked back up.

It was still there. A great mass of white and red flames getting only larger as it approached his house. It was still a distance away, but he could feel the heat and gusts of wind already. Papers on the counter in the adjacent living room began to rustle, the action getting faster as the comet got closer. The lights began to flicker until finally, the electricity gave out.

The only light was coming from the orb outside his window.

Scowling, Levi rearranged his coat and marched into his backyard.

His black hair was mussed by the great wind and he had to shade his eyes to see that; the comet that threatened the existence of his house, wasn't actually a comet at all. He had never seen anything like it ever before. 'Beautiful' would be considered an understatement.

It was a star, big and bright, with an array of colors to support it. Along the slender shape were woven wisps of blues, violets, reds and pinks in shades Levi had never seen before. The longest tendrils were lengths of jade and amber, stretching behind the star as if to form wings, struggling to fight against gravity to soften impact.

Eyes wide and lips ever so slightly parted, Levi took in the sight, taking a picture with his mind. He took in the cold night air that stung his lungs. He took in the overpowering scent of fire and sweat. With lemon tea tainting his lips, he did his best to remember every sensation.

He knew how precious such a sight was in such a short life.

He had seen too many deaths to ignore it.

But the spectacle once more changed its form and the beauty was shattered. The star was actually a man's body alight with flames. The lines of green and gold _were _wings, great extensions from powerful shoulder blades that spread to their full extent in a sorry attempt to alter the outcome of the perilous fall.

Out of pure habit, he rushed forward to stop a demise that would come much too early. He leapt at the last second, knocking the being out of the air and into a nearby shrub.

Chest heaving, he cradled his arm and turned to find out what had come hurdling out of the sky at such an odd hour.

Thus, Levi Smith saw his very first angel.

Sun-kissed skin was covered in an unearthly glow. The curves on its face were well defined, with a sharp jaw line. It had to be in its teens. Wild, amber eyes glared with a ferocity matched only by wolves on the hunt. Its brown hair was disheveled, sticking out in odd areas while others were matted down with blood.

_It was injured._

Its skin was marred by cuts, both deep and shallow, that were bleeding profusely. But what Levi could see was only its face and legs. The rest of its body was hidden away by the great accumulation of red-stained white feathers coming from its back.

Levi stood and it snarled at him, letting a deep growl escape ruby red lips. Slowly, he approached it and took up a fighting stance. He reached out with one hand with the other prepared to guard his chest.

"You're injured," He said lowly. "Injuries like that can't be ignored. _Let me help you_, then you can go back to wherever you're from and forget that this ever happened."

Shoulders raised and wings spread, the angel glared him down, animalistic in the way it was protecting itself.

But Levi had been faced with guns and explosions. There wasn't much that could frighten him. Especially not some animal.

He continued walking towards it, speaking in a low, comforting tone he usually used on a dying man. Guard always up, he still extended the hand of consolation.

As he got closer, he noticed that the bright, white wings were coated in the same green and gold dust from before.

"You're that star," he breathed. "The one that was faster than all its friends. You've lost your way soldier. Let me help you find it."

It was darker around its edges, and parts of its wings were black and brown. The burns were severe. It should've been in too much pain to even consider the thought of moving.

His fingers were only hairsbreadth away from touching it when a long, guttural growl distracted him. It was still watching him. The amber eyes appeared to have calmed down, but orange flames still curled around its long eyelashes.

Levi brushed its wings.

_And the angel screamed._

Searing hot pain burst in Levi's chest, exactly where his heart should be, as he was jumped on. The fist that was prepared to defend flew, catching the angel in the right side of its head.

Just as quickly as it had sprung, it fell limp in Levi's hands.

With his usual poker face, he stared down at it as it bled over his clothes and expensive boots.

At least its eyes weren't on fire anymore.

Inwardly grumbling about how the universe simply did not pay him enough for this, he threw the angel over his shoulder and walked back inside the house.

He had simply tossed the visitor on the kitchen floor and threw his coat over it before immediately moving to take of his boots. Bloodstains all over his kitchen floor were a bitch to clean, but it was easier than having it on carpet. Allowing his shoes to rest by the door, he walked up to his bathroom to get a first aid kit.

By midnight, the angel had been given all the medical attention Levi could give and the kitchen had been cleaned. He placed it on a couch in the living room after removing its boots. He would've removed the jacket as well, but damaging the wings wasn't something he wanted to risk. He had brought it a blanket, but it discarded it in favor of curling its wings around its body.

For a moment, Levi paused and just stared. Even with injuries, it was a sight to behold with dilated pupils and agape lips. The bandages were dull against the neon wings, which were flickering faintly. When the appendages finally grew dull, the dim lighting in the house finally grew to its full potential.

Interesting.

Slowly, his eyes traveled from strong, broad shoulders, up a slender neck, past rolling fields of umber hair and rested on the circle of light surrounding its head.

If the wings weren't enough confirmation, then the halo was.

Levi had honestly found a broken angel in his backyard.


	2. Monster of Heartlines

_Monster of Heartlines_

The drive to the hospital was silent. No matter what he tried, the angel refused to wake up that morning. Anxious, Levi had called the only person he could trust to keep a secret, and give a proper diagnosis.

Hanji Zoe was aggravating, but she was an amazing doctor.

If he didn't trust her judgment, he wouldn't have wasted his gas on a 45 minute drive to her hospital in Malibu when there was one 10 minutes away from his own house.

He sighed as he pulled into the parking lot usually reserved for workers. Saying goodbye to his patience, he lowered his window to speak with the excitedly waving woman outside his car door.

Bright honey golden eyes peered at him from behind a pair of spectacles. Cherry red lips spread into a wide, toothy grin as dangly arms reached inside the car and roped around his neck.

"LEVI!" Hanji shouted, for no real reason other than meaningless joy.

"Zoe. Get your arms off of me."

She, as usual, ignored his tone of voice but did as he commanded. Her button nose wiggled as her eyes scanned the passenger seat.

"You said you had something interesting for me. I can smell it. Where is it? In the trunk?"

Hanji jumped back, umber ponytail and bangs swishing, and Levi stepped out of the car. Before he moved to open the adjacent door, he shot her a warning look.

"Don't scream when you see it."

She put a fist over her heart in salute.

"Yes sir! I give you my word!"

The detective pulled open the door, gesticulating for her to peer inside and see what was spread on the seat.

"Why? It's a _guy!"_

What? Slightly perturbed, Levi asked whether she was blind. Couldn't she see the wings? The halo? But she only fixed him with a look, as if he were going insane, and then proceeded to inquire as to exactly what he was doing with a teenage boy passed out in the back of his car. She wasn't referring to it as an 'it'. She called it a 'he'.

She thought that it was human.

Speechless, he only watched as she carried the teen bridal style, searching for signs only she knew to look for. He followed as she rushed him up the stairs and into the emergency ward.

But throughout the process, only one thought was running in his mind. A terrible thought that made his blood run cold.

He was the only one that could see the wings protruding from its back.

It was a week before those wild eyes would open again. Levi spent each day in the hospital room, cautiously watching for any signs of trouble. It was like he was on guard duty. With files for his cases in his lap, he kept up with his detective work while trying to unravel to new mystery before him.

Hanji didn't know why the teenager (She later found that his features were more baby faced than she thought) was in a coma.

"Nothing internally wrong with him. His organs are functioning fine. External damage is also healing nicely. Heck, the burns were gone after 3 days! There's no reason for him to be comatose…"

Then she always asked him so many questions. What's his name? Where are his parents? Does he take illegal drugs? Perhaps he overdosed? How did you find him?

Of course, he had no answer for any of these questions and he was offended by the very notion that she assumed he would. He wasn't the most social of people. She should've known that about him after 8 years of…whatever they were. (He refused to call them friends.)

Over the week, the highlights were the supernatural occurrences. The angel had two visitors. The first, he had seen when he came in early, a cup of Starbucks coffee in hand.

At the sight of a thin blonde teenager flying over the foot of the hospital bed, whispering into the comatose brunet's ear, the cup almost fell out of his hands.

But his startled intake of breath was enough to bring himself attention. Neon blue eyes fearfully looked at him. Levi only needed to blink and the apparition was gone.

That was on Monday, the day after he had brought the brunet in.

The second interaction occurred the very next day, a rainy Tuesday. Levi had fallen asleep only to jolt awake at sunset. When he looked up, he found a young black haired woman at the brunet's bedside. He knew she was one of them by the way she dressed. The three had all worn knee-high riding boots over white, denim-like pants. But this one adorned the same jacket as the brunet, with the black and white patch on the upper arm.

The only difference was the huge sword next to her.

Once again, as soon as he blinked, she was gone.

4 days had passed and no sign of either apparition came again. It was when a full week had passed that it had opened its eyes.

Thick eyelashes gave way to bright irises of turquoise, flecked with amber shards. Their eyes met, and Levi _fell_.

It was a sensation he was merely acquaintances with; he was never one to often affiliate himself with such an emotion. Thus, when his stomach began to tumble and his heart began to race, he had almost convinced himself that he was going to be sick and lose his lunch. But it was sweaty palms and shortness of breath that sealed the deal. It was the lightheadedness and reluctance to look away that playfully whispered into his mind that he had actually found 'it' attractive.

The eyes were otherworldly. As bright as large pieces of jade, they held the light of morning and retained it, bringing a sunny tint to their stare. He had never seen anything like them before. He was reluctant to look away, for fear of him disappearing like the rest.

When those wide green eyes hardened into a glare was when Levi brought himself back to reality.

He pulled out his phone, calling for Hanji as it thrashed with its wings struggling in the sheets.

"Zoe, It-….He's awake." Correcting himself, Levi returned to his calm demeanor. After a rushed phone conversation, he ended the call and slipped his phone in his pocket. He didn't move from his spot next to the bed as the angel squirmed and struggled.

"I hope you are prepared to answer questions. Hell, I hope you can speak English, otherwise you're really going to have to struggle. Quit moving. The needles won't come out like that."

At this the wings quit beating. Curiously, their rapid movements hadn't disturbed a single thing in the room like they had in Levi's house, not even the lights. Green eyes stared at him cautiously and tense shoulders seemed to grow lax. (But Levi could see that left hand ever so slightly reaching up.)

"What's your name?"

The angel only stared.

"Where did you come from?"

Blinked.

"You're not human are you?"

The left hand had reached shoulder height and was continuing. Levi, keeping constant eye contact, stood and grabbed the object the angel was looking for before any protestations could be made.

He turned the halo around in his hand. Surprisingly, it was cool to the touch, almost like metal. He glanced up to find that the patient was enraged.

"What were you planning on doing with this?" He interrogated, brandishing the crown.

The thing opened its mouth, but the words that left it were not English. The sound that escaped it wasn't even human. It was high-pitched, painful to listen to and he just wanted it to _stop._

Levi covered his throbbing ears, and walked forward. Harsh and painful, his hand slapped against open lips.

"Here in Los Angeles," He began darkly, leaning into the angel's space. "We speak English. Don't ever do whatever _that_ was again."

Green eyes flashed dangerously and a wing shot out, knocking the halo out of his hands and onto the bed. The Angel grabbed it and the flecks of amber in its eyes grew larger

Just as the door burst open for Hanji Zoe. Excitedly, she ran in, tails of her white coat flying. Her pen was already at her clipboard, ready to take notes.

"You're awake! Finally! We've been waiting a while week for you! I'm Doctor Hanji Zoe! I've been working with you for the past few days."

The angel only stared up at her, hands clutching the sheets. This didn't bother the doctor at all, she continued with the same enthusiasm.

"Would you mind telling us your name?"

Levi tore his gaze away from the city view outside the window to look at the 'teenager'. This would be it. The moment of truth. When that thing shrieked, Hanji would surely realize that it wasn't human and help him figure out what to do.

Green eyes glanced at Levi, before a throat was cleared and pale lips parted.

But what came out was a voice with a thick German accent.

"My name is Eren Jaeger, born under the first day of light."

Hanji wrote this down, only asking the exact spelling of his last name. Taking a seat, she crossed her legs and shot Eren the sunniest of smiles. An explanation followed this act, stating how he was brought in by 'the short guy by the door' and that they were all quite worried about him since he had been unconscious for a whole 7 days.

"Do you remember where you're from?"

"The 104th Sector."

Once again, the woman wrote this information down which Levi wouldn't take sitting down.

"You're just going to let it feed you bullshit like that? What does that even mean?" He rounded on the patient, who raised his head and leered at him defiantly.

"Where I come from, men are referred to with 'he'. I am not an '_it'._"

"From my perspective-,"

"Your perspective is incorrect. Clearly, I am a _dude-_," The angel paused, then proceeded to wiggle his tongue. Rubbing his throat, he coughed and help up a hand when Hanji moved to provide assistance.

"I'm a dude," He said, and the thick accent was gone. "You can refer to me as a 'he' or 'him'. I'm not a monster. Am I right doc?"

His voice…it changed. How could he make his voice change? Why did he sound like Shaggy from Scooby Doo? He wasn't paid to deal with this. He was dreaming. For fuck's sake, why couldn't Hanji just realize that the damn thing wasn't human.

"Yes," Hanji gave Levi a curious look. "I don't know why you kept doing that. It confused me to no end."

With a short sigh, the man surrendered and sat back down amongst his case files.

He would receive answers, proper ones, when Zoe wasn't present. For now, he could only listen to the conversation for any clues. That boy wasn't human and for some reason, he was the only one that knew it.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead ma'am. Murdered about a decade ago."

Fingers rifling through papers paused, quaking slightly. Pressing a hand to his face, Levi abruptly left the room.

Waiting outside wasn't what he had wished to do. But after that little incident, he was reluctant to go back in. Splashing water on his face, he looked into the mirror to find cool grey eyes leering back at him. He was still pale, and there were bags underneath in his eyes, but he doubted anyone would be able to tell that something was off. He pulled a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash out from his pocket and quickly washed out any traces of his retching from his mouth.

Murdered parents was a topic that never failed to make him sick.

Ten minutes later, as he crossed his arms, gazing at the wall opposite, Hanji entered the hallway, a pout on her face.

"This is the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"Haven't I told you that he's not-?"

Hanji interrupted, flying off on a rant. With every word, Levi felt his hopes sink lower and lower till there were none left.

"He knows his name, which is good. He knows where he's from. Apparently the 104th Sector is somewhere in Berlin. But Berlin's in freakin' Germany Levi! He says he's too old for a guardian but the kid can't be any older than 16! 17 at the very most! And, get this,"

She lowered her voice, beckoning to come closer. Expression neutral, his eyes scanned the paper she showed him.

"Am I supposed to know what this means?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the unintelligible symbols.

"These are his blood tests," The woman explained as she adjusted her glasses. "Eren has many more platelets and white blood cells than the average human being, which indicates that he's probably fighting off an infection. But, Levi, his burns and wounds are all gone. He has no symptoms of any major disease either. I thought that it might be Leukemia but the cells are fully developed and normal. There's literally no explanation for something like this."

She paused, cupping her own chin thoughtfully. "Unless we're encountering a new disease."

Levi remained silent throughout this speech. The extra white blood cells and platelets explained the quick healing, but the fact that they were even present meant that the teen had a human body. Surely angels didn't receive diseases. What germs would they even encounter in heaven?

In heaven…If angels existed, did that mean that all the other stories were true too? Were there actually saints? What about the presence of God?

"_-evi! Levi!"_

Hanji snapped in his face, shocking him out of his reverie. Concerned, warm brown eyes analyzed him.

"Hey are you okay? If you need to rest than go home. You've been coming regularly all week. You must be tired. And, I saw the way you ran when he mentioned his folks. If you want, you can just leave him with Erwin and I-."

"I need answers." He said shortly. He turned away from her worried expression, face stoic. Without another word, he stepped back into the hospital room.

Eren looked up with excited green eyes. When he noticed who it was, the smile fell from his lips, and he formed a serious expression.

"I know what you are."

"Well I kind of figured, since you can clearly see these."

He spread his wings out to fully show off the razor-sharp feathers in a way that was intended to be intimidating. Levi merely blinked. The angel frowned, dropping the appendages unceremoniously.

"Why am I the only one that can see those?"

Eren, eyes hooded, only looked out the window at the setting sun.

"Why were you hurt? Is someone after you?"

Vibrant jade eyes leered up to connect with steel grays and Levi felt it again.

His chest hurt, a throbbing pain that flowed from the center out, sending tingles to the rest of his body. With bated breath, he clutched a shaking, cool palm to his rib cage. Eyes always on the other, he saw as the defiant expression turned into one of confusion and concern, and then anger.

"Faking a bond will get you nowhere, _stupid_ human."

Then Levi snapped. The bad cop routine was switched on and before he knew it, a punch was thrown towards the other's jaw. As it connected, the angel grabbed his wrist, but Levi quickly came with his left hand, breaking the hold. A swift kick to the chest put the angel down. (Ironically, he cursed like a sailor as his back hit the pillow.)

Glaring, Eren moved to yank out the needles in his arm, when a horrified shriek came from the door.

Hanji ran towards her patient, making garbled noises as she looked between the blood marring his face to Levi and back again.

"He just got out of a coma!" She complained. But a glare was quick to silence her. He relished this for a moment, feeling no remorse until a large, warm hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Hitting comatose children? Come now, Levi. Now that's extreme."

"Oh? Are you scolding me Erwin?"

Blue eyes stared him down, alight with mild amusement. A small smile graced the elder man's face, letting the tired wrinkles fade for just a few moments.

"If I scolded you, would you listen Levi?"

"Of course."

"It wasn't always like this," His brother said fondly. Mischief sparked in his expression as he gave Levi a sly, sideways glance. "If I recall correctly, I used to have to spank you."

Levi scoffed. "Telling stories to look good in front of your girlfriend?"

"And yet you don't deny the truth." Erwin focused on the newcomer before him, a friendly smile on his face. "Hello Eren Jaeger. I'm Erwin Smith, captain of the police force of Los Angeles. I would like for you to answer a few questions."

The angel straightened, Levi noted, and his wings aligned behind his back. It reminded him of military salutes. The tone of surrender and respect was present. Judging by the way Erwin's jaw clenched, he noticed it as well.

"I will do my best sir."

Erwin gave a short nod, and then continued on to interrogate. They were simple questions, almost an exact repetition of Hanji's. Where he came from, his age, who his parents were, why he was alone in a foreign country, what he was doing before he trespassed onto Levi's property.

"I was fighting demons." He had stated ominously. Levi could only scoff in annoyance.

When it came to living arrangements, the interesting personality change came about.

"Since you are underage, have no parents, family that is close, or American currency, you'll be living with Mr. Levi when you're discharged. At least, until we can find a distant relative to care for you for a year or two."

Gray eyes watched the angel, gauging his reaction. Instead of a flare-up of denial, he nodded eagerly.

"Yes Mr. Smith!" Turning to Levi, he bowed his head. "Thank you for your generosity sir!"

Eyebrows raised, he looked at Erwin, who gave him a warning leer.

He wouldn't fight it even if he wanted to. At least now he had a chance at getting some answers. Averting his gaze to the darkening sky, he flattened his voice.

"Just don't bring dirt into the house. No crazy house parties either."

This was how the two ended up in the car back to Levi's place. An awkward silence filled the gap between the two. Levi scowled as the other fidgeted uncomfortably, tossing the occasional glance at the radio. After ten minutes of not-so secret peeks, Levi sighed, and his hand slowly turned the knob until soft indie music filled the Toyota Celica.

Eren hummed along, mumbling lyrics under his breath.

"Oh? So you listen to human music?"

And just like that, the awkwardness turned into a deadly tension. Eren's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. The vehicle slowly pulled to a stop. Stuck in traffic, they had no choice but to sit and allow the tension to wind around their chest like a rope of thorns, crushing them and taking their shallow breaths until finally,

"Eren, do you hate me?"

"Hating a creation of God goes against my moral code."

"Does that answer my question?"

Immediately, Levi went into interrogation mode. Eren may have crash-landed past his walls, but he was still seen as a threat.

If he didn't answer correctly, Levi would throw him out the way he came.

Eren didn't falter, fully facing the elder man now. "No. No Mr. Levi I do not hate you. I cannot hate you."

"And why is that?"

The angel fidgeted, ears burning red. "It honestly goes against my nature."

They didn't speak for a few moments as Levi let that information sink in. The boy's feelings towards him weren't negative. Why did that fill him with a sense of relief? It was strange. But, then again, so was the concept of finding an angel in your backyard.

He speed up as the traffic cleared. The thoughts racing in his mind were as fast as the roofless cars around them. He said nothing as Eren rolled down his window to let the wind run through his hair. The burning need to ask questions lingered on his tongue.

"I want to fly." He heard the other say softly.

"What were you doing that day? When you fell?"

"I told you, I was fighting demons."

"Why?"

Pride was apparent as the teen's chest swelled. The streetlights of Malibu reflected off his turquoise eyes as he practically sang,

"I'm a Warrior of Heaven. A member of the ARC who has devoted his entire life to fighting the forces of the darkness in their pursuit of taking over Heaven and Earth."

"I bet you grip people tight and raise them from perdition too." Levi muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Give me the specifics of what happened on that day."

"You're a rather precise human."

"It's my job kid," Levi deadpanned. Turquoise eyes narrowed as they looked towards the evening sky. A scowl pulling at his features, he began,

"I was jumped. 3 Upper Class demons came out of nowhere. The odds weren't fair at all."

"So you lost."

"_I did __**not**__ lose_." He said, rounding on Levi with a fierce bark. His eyes flashed a dangerous golden for a moment and his wings flared. But the human continued to stare at the black tar ahead of them. Eren calmed himself, taking a deep breath. "A warrior of the ARC does not fail. Failure means death."

"You were pretty close to death when I found you."

Inwardly, Levi winced at the thought of the teen covered in blood and the beautiful white wings burned and stained with red. He briefly took his eyes off the road, eyes running over Eren to simply confirm that he was still there. That he was okay. The clench in his heart slowly, but surely, reduced. Of course, oblivious to this, Eren continued his little honor speech.

"We were taught to do whatever it takes to win in training. I had something they wanted and Annie was gaining on me fast. I had no choice," His fists clenched and his voice grew thick. "I had to fly towards the setting sun. They wouldn't dare follow me there. It was stupid but-."

He cut himself off, eyes growing wide. Frantically, his wings flapped and he patted his persona. When his palm touched something near his collar bone, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is that?"

"Nothing," The boy said quickly. "I just felt a little pain."

"I thought angels weren't able to lie."

"It wasn't a lie. Wing space in this car isn't the best. The vehicles in the heavens are much better."

Levi pulled into his driveway, the gleam in his eyes betraying his interest.

"No, we don't travel strictly by wings," Eren said. When the elder's lower jaw tensed, he grinned. He had correctly guessed what the other was thinking. "Not all of us are messengers. Our wings don't go nearly as fast as a car, and we can't fly for too long."

"So you all drive around in 1967 Chevy Impalas."

Eren fixed him with a strange look as he stepped out of the car.

"No," His eyebrows furrowed. "A majority of us prefer Italian brands of this century. Why?"

Levi locked his car and dug out his house keys, mouth open to formulate words to respond.

Then, faster than the crack of a whip, he was sprung at.

The assailant came from the bush, cloaked in black to blend in with the night. The person was fast, but Levi was faster. Just as they reached him, he spiraled, shooting his foot into their face. With a sickening crack, the kick connected. The other fell, grunting as he clutched his nose.

Levi was just waiting for him to get up. Fighting was second nature to him. He was trained to survive.

He rolled up his sleeves, ready to continue the brawl, when a hand pulled him back.

"No! It's dangerous! That person isn't human. That's a demon!"

Putting up his guard, Levi did his best to distinguish the attacker's figure. Smoke billowed from the wound, and the flow of blood immediately stopped. No, the attacker wasn't human. The injury had already healed.

"I don't like your friends already." Levi commented, narrowing his eyes.

The assailant jumped at him again. He caught a blow with his right forearm. As punches and kicks rained down on him, he blocked to the best of his ability, but the other was fast. Too fast for a mere human to keep up. A kick to his chest sent him into the ground. Nothing was broken, that he was sure of, but the pain sent sparks throughout his entire body. Numb for a moment, he grunted as Eren shouted something unintelligible.

He could only catch a glimpse of icy blue eyes with silver specks as the attacker loomed above him.

"You're female." He noted dully.

She said something, but he clearly heard the name 'Jaeger' thrown in there.

"You got the wrong guy." He stated. As her foot came down, his arm shot out. He caught the limb, pushing against it to propel himself up. She ripped herself away and held up her fists.

Cautious, they circled each other. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, hastening his breath. She lunged for a punch and he ducked, rolling underneath her outstretched arm and blindsided her, smashing into her arm.

The crack and high-pitched scream that followed let him know that the limb was broken.

The fight was finished.

She clutched at the limb, limping and curling in. Glaring at him, her icy blue eyes contorted into an expression of rage and began to turn a deep crimson.

"Now she's angry. You made Annie angry. Come, you really can't do anything now."

"And you can Jaeger? Why don't you?"

The angel shook his head, focused on the female before them.

"I'm a warrior of the light. Warrior classes are practically useless when there's no sun. Redemption, we can barely fly! The only angel class that can function in darkness-."

The sound of large flapping disrupted his statement. Gusts of wind shook the trees around them. Warm summer air went cold as something approached. Within seconds, a new arrival came dashing in, straight for the demon. A large sword was raised by this person. As it swung down, he tensed, and the demon's shrieks were cut short.

A pillar of blue flames shot up before turning into puffs of electric cerulean and pink smoke.

That was all that was left of the demon.

Their savior turned, looking at Levi with cold, black eyes.

"Like I said," Eren continued, walking forward to meet the sword-fighter. "The only angels that can function at night are the Reapers. Like Mikasa, here."

The Reaper fully faced the two, expression cold and merciless. Charcoal black eyes outlined by long, full eyelashes narrowed as they saw Levi. She pulled out her hair tie, letting her jet black hair fall to their place by her shoulders. It was only through the scarlet red scarf, however, that Levi recognized this woman as one of the two that visited Eren in the hospital. He gave her a curt nod. Mikasa ignored this, turning to her friend.

"Eren," Her voice was silvery, hushed and pleasant, as she turned into the Warrior for an embrace. She clutched him close, balling up her fist in his shirt.

"I was so worried. I thought you were dead."

"Yeah, well, Annie almost got me for good. I got saved by a human."

"You can come back now. We need you."

Levi shot him a sharp look. If the boy left, the amount of explaining he'd have to do to Erwin would kill him. Sensing the dark aura behind him, Eren nervously jumped to decline.

"No. I'm going to stay on Earth for a little while. I need to get some information," He gestured towards Levi. "I'll be fine. I'm staying with Mr. Levi."

Mikasa actually glared at the man, sending a jolt through his body. She kept Eren within her grasp, hold tightening. Levi, sensing what was going to happen, stepped forward. A bit too late.

"You'll be fine with me too. Can't you get answers from your commander?"

She didn't give him time to respond. She grabbed him about the waist and began to ascend.

Eren's heart wrenching cry was the only thing that could stop her.

"What is this?" Levi questioned.

His eyes stared down at his chest. A glowing white string came from the center, going all the way up to where Eren was. The Warrior clutched at his own torso, begging for Mikasa to place him down. Curious, Levi prodded the taut thread, and grunted as pain seared through his ribs.

It was as if the string was tied around his ribs, lungs and heart. The slightest provocation tightened it, crushing him on the inside.

"_Heartlines,"_ Mikasa breathed in unadulterated horror. Her voice turned sharp and deadly as she rounded on her friend. "**What have you done?"**

Turquoise eyes sheepishly looked from Levi back to reaper. When Eren's boots brushed against the ground, the string disappeared, leaving no sign that it was ever there. The pain simply vanished.

Slowly, Eren walked backwards until Levi formed a proper barrier between him and Mikasa.

Eren's nervous laugh rang throughout the night.

"I kind of…sort of…"

The rest was spoken in the language of the angels. Mikasa didn't say anything, but Levi could see her expression darkening with each syllable that left Eren's lips.

Finally, when he had stopped, she shook her head disappointedly. Without a single word, she darted straight into the sky.

"Your girlfriend's pissed off." He tried to sound impartial, but a trace of bitterness leaked into his voice.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's my sister. Adoptive sister since we were cherubs."

"Adoptive isn't blood relation."

"She's married." Eren deadpanned. Levi ignored the happiness that flowed through him at this fact. Instead, he focused on digging out his keys. As he opened the front door, he removed his shoes, instructing Eren to do the same.

"You have a lot of explaining to do brat."

"I kind of figured." The teen said, removing his jacket in favor of the thin tunic underneath.

Eren exhaled deeply, stretching as he did so. Leans abs contorted as his hips rolled forward. He extended his arms to the heavens, leaning back as he did so. White wings spread out to their fullest, he let out a sigh of release. Catching Levi staring, he winked, straightening up.

"Need something sir?"

"An explanation." The elder replied coolly. He gestured for Eren to sit on the couch before he went to warm water for tea.

When he returned, Eren was looking intently at a photograph, a scowl on his face and eyes narrowed. He cleared his throat, bringing turquoise eyes back up.

"This is you and Mr. Smith." He said, holding up the photo. Indeed, it was him and Erwin. The photo was from three years ago, if he recalled correctly. They were in uniform, black helmets on their heads and camouflage uniforms on their back. Erwin had his vest on. Badges upon badges gleaned on the thing, taking all the shine in the picture.

"Yes. From a while ago."

"You were a soldier. A warrior."

"For six years." He really did _not_ want to talk about this.

Eren gave a low chuckle, setting the photo on the counter.

"You and I are alike."

"How so?" _How could a mere child understand?_ He wanted to exclaim. The angel looked up, fixing Levi with a bittersweet smile. Wisdom beyond his years swirled in the depths of his eyes, amber shards shining in the light.

"We've both seen hell, haven't we sir? Companions dying before your eyes. You can only look on without being able to lift a single finger because you know their sacrifices were necc-."

"How long?" Levi cut in sharply.

"Since I was 13 human years. To you, it would be 6 six years. For me, it's been a century."

"How is that possible?"

Eren shrugged. "Ask the Guardian of Time. I'm not quite sure how Heaven time converts into Earth Time. We're on two different planes. I-."

The boy cut himself off with a strangled gasp. Immediately, he jumped up, pointing at the television.

"It-It's the thing! That thing that does the thing!"

Confused, Levi looked at the screen. _'The thing'_ turned out to be a ferris wheel. The huge one located in Santa Monica pier. He had gone but twice. The first time was with Erwin, Hanji and her niece, Sasha. The second time…Well, that was more of a private meeting.

"This is what you humans use for entertainment right?" Excitedly, Eren turned to his elder. "Armin told me that his grandfather-He was a Watcher-took him to a thing called an 'Amusement Park' once. They're supposed to be interesting, human made attractions to help mortals feel better about their dull, superficial lives!"

Levi wisely chose not to reply to that last statement, pinning his tongue beneath his teeth.

"I've always wanted to go but my parents…weren't available."

A chill passed through the room as Eren's eyes lost their lights. The amber receded and his eyes grew into a darker jade.

"What happened?" All the information he could receive would help him get out of this mess, and the kid out of his hair. He braced himself for the story, willing memories to stay locked the pits of his mind.

The angel's wings dropped, growing dull, as he sank back into his chair.

"They were murdered," His voice was thick, taut with anger of years passed. "My mother was a Watcher. One day, she went down to Earth and never came back. We received word that she was killed by a nephilim in a place called California the next evening. My father was a Guardian, but the day he learned my mother died, he _changed_." The boy paused, crossing his arms. "He went crazy. The only thing he was focused on was fighting demons. He thought he should go into hell and kill them all."

_Memories. _

_Memories of men's dying screams._

_The copper taste of blood in his mouth._

_Smoke filling his lungs._

Levi shut his eyes and locked that memory corner of his mind. He reached for something, anything to say to distract himself.

"And that's not right?" He asked finally.

"The destruction of all evil will disrupt the cosmos. Everything, in every single plane, will cease to exist."

Eren looked at his feet, clenching his fists.

"The next morning, we learned that he had gone straight into the darkest circle of the Underworld. There was a rumor has it that he was destroyed by Lucifer himself. All that I have left of him is the key."

"That's terrible."

"No!" Eren objected. "It's an honor. He fought so fiercely that the king of demons himself was forced to put effort into bringing him down. For someone that's not even a member of the ARC, that's impressive."

"I don't even understand what you're saying." Levi stated. Eren fell silent, eyes imploring for the man to continue. "You talk about this ARC, Warriors, Reapers and Guardians so freely, as if you expect me to know what you're talking about. We're from two different worlds kid. Explain these terms to me."

"What do you want me to start with?"

Levi rose as the kettle began to whistle, putting the conversation on pause. Did he himself know what to begin with? A new mystery had been opened up to him, and he wanted desperately to figure it out. As a detective, this was his purpose. Going against this urge would be like going against his core being.

Deep in thought, he set the tea cups on a tray, arranging a few cookies next to them.

Perhaps, he would be able to figure out the truth about religions. The truth about the world.

"You will explain the different types of Angels first. The Warrior, Guardians…All of that. I want to know what that means first."

They would start from the basics and move from there. Eren cleared his throat.

"_Obviously,_" His voice was hoarse, rough and painful to listen to. Furrowing his eyebrows, he cleared his throat again. "Obviously, I can't tell you everything. Despite who you are, there's still angel-only information. But the classes is basic knowledge. Most humans know about those."

He shot Levi an accusatory glance. Unashamed, he met it with defiance.

"I'm not religious. I don't believe in any God."

"Not even my half-brother Freckled Jesus?"

"No."

Eren shrugged. "It's your life human. You have the free will to do as you like."

"And I will." Levi crossed his legs, raising his cup to his lips. Looking at a spot on his wall, he waved his hand. "Continue to explain."

Eren thoughtfully bit into a cookie. Gray-blue eyes peeked at the angel as he smiled out of delighted surprise at the chocolate taste.

That damn bursting feeling in his chest needed to stop. _**Immediately.**_

"Jaeger, don't waste my time."

The boy set the cookie down reluctantly.

"Sorry. There are 7 classes of Angels. The first is the Warrior class. Every angel born on the day of light-You humans call it Sunday-is placed in the Warrior class. Whether or not you join the ARC is based on your class rank."

"What's the ARC?"

"Archangel Recon Corps. The best of the best. We're the ones that are on the offensive. If demons try to start something, we're the ones that are the first to respond."

Levi didn't miss the amber sparks in Eren's eyes growing larger as he spoke of his duty. Pride practically oozed off the boy.

"Angels of Sunday are the warriors." Levi repeated. He found it ironic really, seeing as how he himself was born on that day. His mother used to call him…No, he wouldn't think of such a thing.

"Then those born on Monday are the messengers. They're the ones with the small, hummingbird wings."

To emphasis his point, Eren stood, bringing his hand up to half of his wing height.

"They would be that small. Warriors have the medium sized wing for balance and easy flying. But Messengers are the ones that need speed. They dash all over the place at the speed of light. Humans rarely, if ever, get to catch even a glimpse of Messenger."

Levi's thought back to the first, blond boy in the hospital.

"Do you know one?"

Eren nodded, grinning. "He's my best friend. Whenever he gets a break, we can hang out." Suddenly, his grin fell. "He must be really worried."

"He'll be fine." Levi said firmly. At this, Eren relaxed, nodding to himself.

The continued well on into the night, without disruption. Despite his constant poker face, Levi was intrigued by the concept of angels being assigned jobs since their day of birth. Other than the Warrior and Messenger classes, there was the Reapers. They were born on Tuesdays, and given the duty of taking away the lives of humans.

While all other relied on light entering their eyes to gain powers, Reapers could function in any condition. Mikasa was one of these death bringers. ("And the best at it too! She's famous!" Eren had bragged.)

Those born on Wednesdays were Judges, assigned with the task of weighing the souls of the dead, determining where they would go for the afterlife.

Children of Thursdays were the Watchers, soldiers of the Earth that mingled with humans. They watched for any suspicious activity, and were heaven's spies for infiltrating demon run areas.

Those born on Fridays were human protectors. They followed various humans around, making sure they didn't die when it wasn't time, listened to their prayers, and protected them from demons.

But it was those born on Saturday that were the most influential.

"The Guardians are the Angels of Saturday. There are few. I personally know three. Mikasa's husband is one. My friend Connie is another, and his girlfriend is the last one I know."

"What do they do?"

Eren yawned. Droplets of umber liquid grouped at the bottom of white porcelain cups. The plastic tray was bare and both bellies had swollen slightly. Eyes drooping, the angel curled his wings around himself.

"They protect crucial items that keep the world functioning. Connie, for example, is the guardian of the concept of space. He keeps the planes and dimensions separate as they're supposed to be. He always has this…" Eren blinked sleepily, mouth shut.

"You forgot to finish your sentence." Levi pointed out, arms crossed. His head reclined against the arm of the couch.

"Sorry. He always has this orb thing on him. If he loses it then his boss will have his head."

"Hnn…" Levi attempted to shift his foot, but the willpower simply didn't come. Sighing, he removed his shirt, folded it, and placed it on the ground next to the couch.

"Hey,"

"Ah?"

"What's your last name? It's only fair for me to learn yours."

"…Winchester."

Eren made a sound of mild surprise.

"I've heard of you."

"I'm lying. It's Smith."

"Just like Mr. Erwin."

"He's my adoptive brother. Of course…we'd have the same name."

"Mikasa doesn't have mine."

"Because angels don't follow American legalities." Levi said in a soft murmur. One final question pulled at the edges of his mind. Lazily, he watched the boy toy with his key necklace out of the corner of his eyes.

"That the key your Dad gave you?"

The hands froze, tucking the item back underneath his shirt.

"Yeah. The day before he left."

"What does it do?"

The apprehensive silence that met his question said everything.

"I'm not going to snatch it. I have enough crap upstairs. That old thing won't do anything for me. Rest easy. Don't tell me if your don't want to-."

"It opens a rip in space that can bring everything from hell to earth. It's the key to the apocalypse."

"Hnn…Let's pretend that we never talked about that."

"Agreed."

The two fell into a comfortable, warm and calm silence. It was strange, Levi had thought as his eyes began to droop. He and the boy had barely known each other for a day, but yet he had no problems with the other sleeping on his pristine, white couch. Even Hanji didn't get such a privilege.

He was getting too comfortable. His walls had been smashed through and yet he didn't move to rebuild them.

This was going to hurt. He acknowledged this fact in his subconscious, but did nothing. He only closed his eyes to avoid catching sight of disaster.


	3. Hallelujah! Ain't It Fun?

_Hallelujah! Ain't It Fun?_

There was a never a night in which he had not dreamed of his parents. The dreams were always the same. He started out as a child, dragging a large brown teddy bear down the dark, long hallways of the house in France. He would hear shrieks and cries, and turn to the room next to him, slowly opening the door to reveal a horror scene. His father lay sprawled across the piano, throat slit and his blank eyes wide. His mother was in the clutches of something sinister, eyes forming a glare. He would only watch as his mother struggled and failed.

She was thrown to his feet, neck snapped and eyes wide. He would feel a horrible pain in his chest and drop to his knees, clutching his heart.

Then a river of blood would grow until crimson was all he could see and he drowned in its depths.

That night was different.

The same scene was played, yes, but it didn't stop there. The play wasn't cut short at intermission. It continued until the grand finale. The 'sinister something' had a face, limbs, and _wings._

They were great black things, leathery and scaled. Intimidating as they were, the two appendages were at ease. The demon commanded fear without putting forth an effort.

As if sensing his gaze, it turned towards the child, and grinned wide to reveal sharp teeth. Red eyes flashed as the fist around his mother's neck tightened. Her strangled yell was the last thing in his ears as he sank to his knees, clutching the bear to his chest.

The river of red blinded him once more, obstructing his senses as thunderous footsteps approached him.

When his vision cleared, he saw himself at ten, walking the streets of France with cuts and bruises littering his entire dirty body. His shabby clothes were baggy on his thin frame. His teddy bear was still in his hand, serving as his only friend in the cold, monstrous world. It was missing a leg and both its eye. He remembered envying it slightly. The toy didn't have to see the horrors of the world, he had thought.

Then his vision went black. All he could hear was the sound of his younger self getting knocked to the floor and releasing a string of curses in French.

When the sight returned, he was back in his own body, staring at a clean, outstretched hand.

'_Are you alright?'_

Erwin made an appearance, reaching out to drag his younger brother out of the hellish world he grew accustomed to, into a realm of cleanliness, respect and a sense of peace.

When his small hand clutched at the eighteen year old's, the memories fast forwarded. Recollections of times with a happy, blond and blue-eyed family zipped by before he could witness them all. But the feeling of fear and despair fell away to nostalgic joy. The last image he clearly saw was his adoptive father smiling with his quirky, handlebar mustache and goatee. He felt the old man place a comforting hand on his head, ruffling his hair out of affection.

'_If you do not regret the decision, then I'm proud of you.'_

Those were the last words Simon Smith said to him before Iraq.

He woke up to a strange, muffled giggling above him. His nose twitched as something soft brushed against his nostrils.

"Chasing that jailbait huh Levi?"

His eyes snapped open to find mocking brown sneering down at him. He almost knocked the glasses off her pretty little face.

"Zoe, how the hell did you manage to get into my house?"

"Erwin gave me a key." The woman sang. Her gaze switched from him to his chin, grin widening. "Am I interrupting something?"

Bewildered, Levi glanced to the warmth next to him to find Eren, face snuggled into his chest and wings enveloping them both.

"I have no idea how he got there."

"Uh-huh. Get it Casanova. Don't mind me. Keep chasing that jailbait. Just hope the police won't catch you before a year passes."

"Stop speaking 'idiotic' and maybe I'll understand you."

Pouting, the woman straightened and he got a full view of what she was wearing. Pointedly, he leered at her thick rimmed, oversized black glasses.

"Glad to see you still dress like some college freshman."

Hanji spun about the living room. The ends of her pale pink hi-low skirt rose as she let out a wild laugh, extending her arms out.

"I love my clothes so much!" She exclaimed.

"Black crop tops and hi-low skirts are not for 32 year old women." Levi stated with a scoff. He didn't really think this, and Hanji knew, but the teasing was habit for the duo.

"Your brother likes it. He still thinks the bellybutton piercing is cute too."

"I still fail to understand how you managed to go to Stanford and come back with a hideous blemish on your stomach."

Levi got up carefully, so he would not awaken the sleeping angel, and stretched, joints popping.

"Aww come on Uncle Levi!"

An exact, younger replica of Hanji walked in with one hand in a container of _Pringles_ and the other on her I-phone. She had the same hair, chocolate brown and pulled into a ponytail, and joyous honey-brown eye color.

Even their style of dress was similar. But on the younger, a pair of high waisted shorts accompanied her black crop top, along with a snapback endorsing Malibu.

Sasha Braus looked from Hanji to Levi, eyebrows raised.

"You've got to admit that she looks like she's 21. I mean, Auntie Hanji's a total MILF dude. No wonder your brother's banging her."

The glare Levi sent the teenager could kill small children within a mile radius. Sasha paled, opened her mouth, closed it and ran into the kitchen.

Levi held his palm up to his mouth, hiding his facial expression.

"You jerk! S-Stop scaring my niece…" Hanji broke off into muffled laughter, sinking to the ground and clutching her stomach.

"Braus!" Levi yelled. A high pitched shriek, the sound of crashing and running up the stairs followed immediately. This was enough to send Hanji over the edge. Laughing hysterically, she leaned on the coffee table for support.

"You are _so mean_. Why are we friends?"

"We're not."

"Ouch. Stingy hermit."

"Indie Hipster."

Hanji stuck out her tongue immaturely before turning to enter the kitchen.

"I came to make you pancakes, but now I think I'll just poison all of them."

"That's fine. Maybe then I'd be able to convince my brother not to marry you."

Hanji's form appeared in the doorway, grinning cheekily.

"Want me all to yourself?"

"Yes. I have a secret fetish for Indie Hipsters with ugly piercings and large glasses."

A silence settled between the two. Levi stared at Hanji, completely straight faced, as she turned red, violet, and then a light blue as she struggled not to react. Crying now, she ran into the kitchen.

Even after five minutes, he could hear her obnoxious laughter as she stirred the bowl.

"Oh my God! How can you say that kind of thing with such a face?"

"I actually threw up a bit in my mouth." Levi carelessly tossed back. He ran a hand through his hair, and then looked down at who still lay sleeping.

The angel looked much older as he slept. His jawline was more prominent, giving his face a rougher shape. His lashes lay long on tanned cheeks, fluttering as softly as butterflies when the boy shifted. Levi could hear him breathe through parted lips. With each inhalation, his lean torso slightly shivered, causing his wings to quake. Usually, one would assume that the boy was cold. Levi knew better.

Eren was _warm. _ Warmer and more comfortable than any blanket he had ever felt before. Heat and solace came off the boy in waves while he slumbered. He honestly had to force himself off the couch.

"Don't burn down my house Indie."

"Got it stingy."

Rolling his shoulders, he collected his shirt from the ground.

It was nice of Zoe to drive to over at 9 o'clock in the morning to make him food. He would relish it now. When she and Erwin got hitched, she would be too busy doing other things in the morning to make him food.

Ugh, she was going to marry her brother. What if they had kids?

A disgusted shudder passed through him as the bathroom door shut. Levi had begun removing his pants when,

"You've really gotten yourself into quite a mess."

Sasha Braus stared up at him, a bag of chips (His bag of _Lays_) in her hand. She looked rather comfortable in his bathtub, legs crossed and some _Paramore _song blaring from her headphones.

Two full minutes of bewildered silence passed. Levi's hands remained frozen on his fly as he searched for the right words.

"Why are you in my bathroom Braus?"

"Well, maybe I had to pee."

"You're in my bathtub with Lays potato chips."

She looked down at her salty, oily hand, nodding as she did so.

"Yeah. Yeah I am."

He did not need this at all. Was everyone that was related to Zoe absolutely insane?

"Get out of here Braus."

"There's no one to talk to!"

"Your Aunt is downstairs."

Sasha's expression turned serious as she looked back at him, shrugging off her Varsity Jacket. "I don't want to talk to her."

"What do you me-?" His question broke off as the lights flickered. Darkness flooded his vision, then a light even brighter than before nearly blinded him. Eyes wide, he could only stare at the large accumulation of feathers behind the teenager's back.

Much larger than Eren's, she struggled to squeeze them inside the bathtub. Sasha was forced to fold them over her so that they could form a blanket of gold on her body. They shone a golden yellow, so bright that they made his eyes water. Outlines of violet was used to tone the color down slightly, surrounding each feather with a thin raspberry film.

"Turn the damn things off." Levi said, turning away.

"I know! They're like so shiny! You should see them in a dark room! I wanted to dye the entire thing purple but my boss wouldn't let me."

He didn't respond, burying his head in his hands. Sasha watched as he ducked his head under the running sink, biting her lip. Using the tip of her left wing, she brought the bag of potato chips out and slowly began to maneuver the wings to feed her.

"Since when?" Levi asked tiredly.

"Since I was born! Pops says that Ma loved Lays too, so technically it's from womb. But, yea, I grew up with this Lays addiction. But you can't get mad at me ya' know? I mean, some kids smoke crack. Binge eating on Lays is a much healthier habit. I know you're mad that these are yours. But-hey-at least it wasn't your porn collection cuz-."

She was insane. She was honestly stupid and insane. Just like her Aunt.

"Braus how long have you had wings?"

The girl's brow furrowed, as if affronted by the interruption.

"I only realized I was a guardian when I was thirteen. Before that, I didn't know."

"How can you not know? It's part of you."

Sasha clutched at the Lays bag as she turned away. The brightness in her wings faded as they drooped.

Wistfully staring up at the shower head, she wore a bittersweet smile.

"You know, I used to ask myself that every day. It's amazing how humans can deny or be completely unaware of a part of themselves. They prevent themselves from being who they are to blend with society; to suit the standards of normal…I guess, that's what I wanted to be for a while. But, to be honest, it's a complete waste of time. I knew, but I didn't want to." The brown in her eyes gradually turned into deep amber. She faced him once more, expression strong and determined.

"I'm Sasha Braus, the Guardian of Time, here to warn you about your future."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

Even Levi knew that the concept was sketchy. Sasha stuffed her mouth with chips, avoiding the question as she thought up an answer.

"No need for unnecessary questions. I can't stop time for too long."

"You stopped time?"

Sasha once again stuffed her mouth with chips, chewing thoughtfully. She looked as if she were about to speak a few times, then shook her head, reconsidering her words. Tapping his foot, Levi glared down at her.

He could practically feel the Dove soap next to her ear caressing his body, warm water cascading over his skin as he got _clean_. He could imagine the feeling of comfort as he stepped out of the shower, warm and wet and all too satisfied.

'_Soon,'_ he vowed.

Sasha seemed to have found her words. Wings glowing, she closed her eyes and recited,

"On a day of joy

Will come the worst pain

The Warriors deployed

But only one with something to gain

Angelic spots no longer benign

For both thief and goods

The misunderstanding is the sign

Of departure within the same wood

As where the tale began

Where Angel met Man"

"…Are you done? Can I take a shower now?"

"I just gave you an illegal prophecy and you have the guts to-!"

She rounded on him, eyes glowing with rage. But when she saw his glare, she sat back down, throwing her hands in the air in surrender.

"I'm one of the most powerful angels in heaven, and yet you still scare the shit out of me."

"Not in the bathtub brat. Toilet's over there."

"You're in my nightmares every night Uncle Levi."

"Glad to know you think of me."

She shyly looked up at him, chewing her potato chips. She was waiting for something. What the hell it was, he had no idea. To signify this, he switched glares.

"Y-You don't want to know what that big speech meant? I worked hard on that prophesy."

"My future is mine to decide." Levi replied icily. He nodded towards the exit. "Get out of my bathroom."

She quickly escaped. Her wings snapped out of existence before she even left the door. Cursing under his breath, he stripped off his pants and boxers, and then stepped into the shower. Letting the hot water run over his body, he sighed. It was as he moved to get the soap that he felt pinpricks of chip residue beneath his feet.

It was way too early for this shit.

In black jeans, a white shirt and a dark cardigan, he sped down the stairs.

"What time..?" His voice faltered as he saw Sasha and Eren speaking vigorously. He couldn't hear what they were saying exactly, but he knew enough to say it wasn't English.

Eren's hair was mussed, as if he had just woken up. The rest of his body was alert. Green eyes vivid, he fiercely countered whatever Sasha was saying with a harsh, lowered snarl.

She made a face, saying something in an odd tone of voice that made them both laugh.

Eren's wings, bright with mirth, had fluttered gently as he chuckled. Then, noticing Levi, he stopped.

"Good Morning sir."

"Morning Jaegar." Levi gave a pointed leer at the couch Eren was sitting on. The teen reddened, averting his gaze. "You were having a nightmare so I kind of…"

Sasha gave a long 'Aww', making the boy playfully tackle her.

"You two know each other."

"Friends since we were cherubs!" The two said brightly. Sasha grasped the hem Eren's shirt, yanking at it. Unperturbed, he slipped out of the tunic, giving the two a full view of his chest.

He was fit. Taut, lean muscles defined his stomach, forming the subtle contours of his abs that ran down to his waistline. Faded, pink scars didn't fail to appear on his torso, breaking the tanned skin every so often. The one that stood out was a long, slim line between his shoulders, where his wings met his back. Levi's chest clenched as his eyes lingered on this wound, then traveled elsewhere. His arms, lean and corded, stretched as his hands caught Sasha's wrists, dragging them ever so slowly above her head.

Levi got a full view of the angel's slim lower back as it leaned forward.

"Say Uncle." Eren demanded of Sasha, low and commanding. The chill it sent down Levi's spine should've been illicit. She said something in their language and he shook her wrists, repeating his request.

"Uncle Levi! Eren's attacking me!"

Levi's mouth was dry. He couldn't trust himself to provide a proper response. So he simply stared.

I mean, it wasn't too often that he got to see such a nice ass.

Such sights were precious in a short life.

Hanji chose that moment to appear in the doorway, stating that there was food to eat. Upon seeing the two on the floor, however, the words died on her lips.

Now Levi had seen an angry Hanji before. He could see the signs from a mile away. Which was why when the woman put her fist on her hips, waving the spatula slowly, his blood ran cold.

"Jaegarbomb, what are you doing with my niece?"

Sasha scrambled up, eyes wide open. She struggled to form a proper excuse as Eren rose, grinning out of obliviousness to the quickly tensing atmosphere.

"We were wrestling! We used to do it all the time when we were kids!"

Hanji's eyes narrowed as she looked at her niece.

"You two knew each other?"

It was only then that Eren realized his mistake. Turquoise eyes wide and face turning pale, he looked to Levi for help. The man, in turn, leered at Sasha who piped,

"I used to see him on the playground in New York! He shared his angel gr-_angel food cake_ with me every day. He usually came by himself so I never met his parents. When he moved to Berlin and I moved to Miami, I thought I would never see him again. But, here we are!"

She threw an arm around his neck, forcing a smile out of both of them.

"Together again!"

"_Whoop de-fucking-doo."_ Levi pushed past the trio and into the kitchen. With disgust, he looked at the oil splattered over, flour dusted countertops and dishes in the sink.

Nevertheless, there, standing on the table with steam swelling from its form, was a stack of golden pancakes.

Hanji Zoe was probably the most aggravating presence in Levi's life. But those pancakes before him, were the only reason he needed to let her stay in it.

In less than a minute, he had his own stack before him, covered with a light coat of syrup. Hanji entered, bringing him a cup of coffee.

"Do you have to go into the office today?" She asked, setting the cup down gently.

"I haven't gone in for a week Zoe." Impassive, he cut into the flapjack. "If I don't go in today, Gunter and Erd will have my ass."

"Those two have been covering you this entire week?"

Levi nodded, raising his fork to his mouth.

A gentle caress of sweetness brushed against his tongue. He let the muscle lay still for a bit, relishing the sensation it pushed through his core. When Hanji and Erwin had kids, they were going to be spoiled rotten every morning.

"What are you going to do with Eren?"

"Leave him with you."

"But I was going to leave Sasha with you."

"Then she'll babysit him. She's old enough…What are you doing anyway?"

Hanji grinned, syrup dribbling on her chin as she excitedly bounced.

"I have a date with Erwin! We need to pick out our cake."

He made a face of disgust. Bringing his cup to his mouth, he said,

"That explains the clothes."

Hanji wiggled her eyebrows.

"_Up all night to get lucky_." She sang, twirling. Levi choked on his drink.

"I will go to his apartment before you get back and _I swear I will cockblock that shit so fast that Erwin will wonder where the fuck his dick went."_

"A-A I interrupting something?"

The duo turned to find Sasha in the doorway. Glancing at each other, they nodded, and made a silent agreement to remain quiet.

The girl leaned forward on her toes, releasing a long 'Okay.'

Deeming it safe, she grabbed a plate and some pancakes. Cautiously, she lowered herself into the seat next to him. The room was still as she took the syrup, fork clattering. Keeping her gaze on her food, Sasha said,

"Uncle Levi, Eren needs clothes. He prefers jeans."

Levi's fist smashed onto the table, making the girl shriek in terror. She jumped out of her seat, staring at him with fear. He whipped his head around, glaring at her with untamed rage.

"So he wants to walk around in my vintage Strauss & Co. jeans? Do you have any idea how much those cost? Go to Walmart and buy him a pair!"

Screaming apologies, she took her plate and fled. The sound of the front door slamming was all Hanji needed to start laughing.

"_What kind of sadistic pleasure do you take from terrorizing her?"_

"I'm incapable of such an act," Levi shot Hanji a sharp look. "But judging by the way you're laughing; you do. Zoe, you sick little-."

"When I get married," Her voice was quiet. "We won't be like this. Things will change."

Stunned, Levi looked up at her, ignoring his plate. He couldn't see her expression. Her head was hung over her own plate, and her bangs obscured his vision. But the fingers grasping a motionless fork were quaking. That was the only sign he needed.

He had also thought that things would be different once Hanji and his brother had wed. Hearing the statement aloud from Hanji, however, almost set it in stone. While the woman and her niece weren't exactly regulars at his house, there wasn't a week that passed that they didn't visit. Without them, he would really be alone.

But Hanji had a wedding to look forward to. She had a life of happiness with Erwin up ahead. A fear of change couldn't stop them. He wouldn't allow it.

"Yes, things will change. Whenever you two get into a fight, you won't be able to come over crying and screech along to _Taylor Swift_ songs."

She let out a cross between a sob and giggle. As memories swirled in his mind, he buried a hand in her hair, ruffling it ever so gently.

"One day, you'll be a mom and you won't be able to make me breakfast every week."

"I'll be a terrible mom."

"You will," Levi agreed. Hanji froze. With a dramatic sigh, he clutched her hair, raising her head so that her watery brown eyes would meet his cold blues.

"You'll be one of those horrible, crazy, fun moms that children love. You'll be such a sickeningly happy family that every person within a mile radius will despise your ability to be joyful in such a cold world. You'll be the mom that's too damn loud at basketball games. The one that brings Gatorade for the football team, and the mom that can fix any wound your child gets with 'magical kisses' or whatever bullshit women feed their children. Ugh, and when you two and your kids come over for the holidays to eat all my food, you'll leave behind such a huge mess that I'll spend the next two days cleaning up."

Hanji giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You'll have someone to help you."

Levi scoffed, fingers leaving the woman's hair.

"I'm serious!" The woman exclaimed, putting their plates in the sink. "Maybe you'll find a nice, young girl…or a cute boy with amazing green eyes that enjoys snuggling into your chest while you two-."

"I swear, if those children take after you they will be the spawn of Satan."

Levi gently pushed the woman out of his way as he began to do dishes. Taking her empty cup, he half-listened as she ranted.

"An impossibility! Chances are in favor of them taking after their father, who is basically the Captain America of L.A. They'll be little Avengers."

"Then they _definitely_ are not entering this house."

"And, oh, imagine all the tests I can run on them to test their powers!"

"You definitely are crazy."

"Speaking of tests," The mood once again turned serious as she regarded him. Pausing her attempt to clean the oven, she tapped her finger against the towel. "I was wondering if I could perform some tests on Eren."

His hands stopped moving. Catching this merely seconds later, he moved to open the tap to cover his mistake up. It was too late for Hanji had already seen the blunder. Smirking to herself, she continued her task, whistling nonchalantly.

"Or, you know, you two could just stay home every day and bang. Just know that if you do as such, I will happily take that action as permission for me to fuck your brother."

"…You make me want to play in traffic on the San Francisco bridge."

"I'll rescue you!"

"Then I'll jump off."

"But I can't swim."

This infuriating woman. Eyes twitching, Levi sighed. "Run all the tests you like."

Hanji grinned, eyes lighting like a mischievous cat as she curled an arm around Levi's shoulders.

"I'll do a test on sexuality first and have the results rushed back to you."

Laughing, she jumped back, narrowly dodging a well-aimed kick. Then her eyes caught sight of the time. She yelled about how late she was going to be, then placed a quick peck to Levi's cheek. The man made a retching sound that she only giggled at as she ran out.

"Goodbye baby brother-in-law!"

He gritted his teeth at the reminder. Soon, three months to be exact, he would be related to that woman.

She didn't have a wedding dress yet. Maybe if she never got one, they would postpone it? He mused over various ways that the wedding could go wrong, going all the way from a sudden terrible case of the flu for the couple in the final week to the apocalypse.

"Sir, you're making a frightening face."

How Eren Jaegar could manage to look like _that_ in Walmart jeans, Levi would never know. The black denim clung to his legs, disappearing under the constraints of the combat boots that the teen always wore. His green hoodie brought out his eyes, which were looking at him knowingly.

"You seem to enjoy staring at me sir."

"It's because I've never seen anything so revolting in my life. I often confuse you for a talking shit pile."

"Would you sleep next to a talking shit pile?"

"Don't get cocky brat. I did no such thing. If anything, I should get Erwin over here to handcuff your ass. You came onto _my_ couch. That's sexual assault."

Lips pursed, Eren considered this for a moment, and then he grinned. Stepping forward, he stopped only as the tips of their toes touched.

The scent of pine trees and cinnamon wafted into his nose, overwhelming his senses. Quickly, his eyes narrowed in discontent as he ignored the alluring smell, focusing on the important facts.

Jaegar was taller than him.

"Does this count as sexual assault?" The teen asked. His eyes lit dangerously. The amber was glowing, making the green in the irises lighter. Eren's wings, water still slick against the feathers, rose, spreading out as the corners of his mouth tilted up into an angelic smirk.

"If you get even a centimeter closer, you **will **lose whatever is in your crotch."

"There goes my chance at making nephilim babies."

"You're getting way too close to the sun Jaegar. You'll crash and burn." Levi tossed a dishtowel in the others face, nonchalantly.

He couldn't look up into those eyes for fear of his chest caving in. Willing the pounding in his heart to stop, he ran the tip of his tongue over his dry lips. He would've turned away, but Eren's hand held him in had shaken off the dishtowel, hair flying.

"_Scared human_?" The words intended to be a slur came out husky. "I could kill you here you know." "You cannot and you _**will**_-," Levi's knee came up, connecting with the zipper of the teen's jeans. "Not harm a single human. Behave yourself Jaeger."

"God the sexual tension in this room could be cut with a knife." Sasha groaned as she entered the room, new bag of _Lays_ in hand. With a degree of revulsion, Levi noticed that the flavor was Chicken & Waffles.

"American snacks are so disgusting."

"You had a bag of the originals in your pantry!"

Levi had actually bought that for her. He wasn't about to let the girl know this though.

"So…is everyone secretly angel? Let me guess, Beyoncé's secretly a member of the ARC. That's why she's better than the rest of us."

"No. Not everyone." Sasha sat on the counter, legs swinging. A single look from Levi sent her right back down to the floor.

"But Beyoncé might be."

"I knew it." Wiping his hands on Eren's shirt, he moved to take a seat. Gunmetal blues stared the two angels down as they blinked up at him.

Yes. He was taller now. The conversation could commence.

"Braus."

"Yes Uncl…Can I call you Levi? I mean, if Eren can I should be able to. He's only two years older than me."

"No." He didn't give the notion a single thought. "You said you didn't know that you were an angel. How does that work?"

Sasha looked at Eren. The boy shrugged, as if to tell her that it was her call, then moved to get some food. She stuffed chips into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Well, with the Guardians. We're born human. We consciously grow up as humans. When we sleep we have this kind of 'transformation'. Our spirits leave our body and…do some crazy stuff that I can't tell you about, and then when we need to wake up, they return. We dunno what happened when we were unconscious. If anything, we'll think it's just some dream."

"But now you're conscious."

She nodded. Licking her fingertips, she mumbled her next few words.

"When Guardians hit a certain age, they realize who they are. It's an inherited job so the memories of the old dead guys before them are given to them. So I know exactly what I'm doing."

He didn't believe that last statement at all, but he had no choice at this point.

"You're capable then. That crazy woman dumped you here so you'll be babysitting Eren. I have to go to work."

"Leave it to me!" The girl stood, saluting him with her fist over her heart. He wasn't making a wrong choice by trusting her right? I mean, she had been in his house alone a few (and he meant very few) times. But alone with Eren was another story all together. He was sure that the teen was older than her. (She was…15? Wasn't he there for that birthday party?) And if he were ever confused about human technology, she would have more than enough knowledge on it to help him out.

Levi froze. His mind went blank as two warm arms snaked around his waist. All he caught sight of was messy umber hair as a nose buried itself into the crook of his shoulder.

"Have a nice day at work _sir_."

He wasted no time in shoving the angel off him, burying his elbow in the teen's back.

"Couch stealing motherfucker." he muttered, grabbing his coat off the rack.

When he was alone inside his car, his hand met his face and he groaned.

Within his life, Levi Smith had witness many strange things and people. No situation he had ever been in was even close to how strange this one was. Steadying his breath, he analyzed the facts.

Angels existed

A rather attractive, yet physical contact-addicted, angel was currently free loading in his house

Hanji's niece, whom he had known since she was a toddler, was actually the Guardian of Time

The hot angel from statement #2 was a total flirt

'_With a __**really**__attractive butt.'_

Scowling, Levi ripped the page out of the tiny notebook, crumpling it and throwing it out the window. He didn't need a list to know that he was fucked. He could deal with the mess surrounding him on his own. Starting the car, he let the purr of the engine run through his ears, soothing his frustration.

His beliefs were starting to quake. His footing on the world wasn't as sure as it had been before.

He had somehow found himself in the middle of a huge mess. But he would be able to clean it up. It was his job.

Navy eyes narrowing, he sped onto the road.

Besides, if his hunch was correct, this mess would bring him one step closer.

One tiny little step forward to finding the murderers of his parents.


	4. Shake It Out

_Shake It Out Little Lion Man/ Shake It Out for 500 Miles_

Unlike a majority of the working class, Levi actually enjoyed his job. He simply managed to _look _like he hated it so he wouldn't frighten off new recruits with his smile.

As a criminal investigator, he excelled. He performed his job so well that he was practically famous across the West coast. His colleagues admired him, though he would never speak of this aloud, and he was well respected in his workplace.

Which was why when he came through the slide doors, tail of his trench coat billowing behind him, a chorus of good mornings flew at him. For most, he gave an uninterested grunt in reply but when he passed the third to last desk, he paused.

Without looking down, he pressed his hand against the head of the man sprawled on his desk.

"Go home." He ordered. Erd Gin scrambled to look up.

"C-Captain Levi!"

There was that title again. He wasn't Senior Special Agent anymore, but the name stuck to him like a leech. Levi withdrew his hand, staring down at the stack of papers on the man's desk.

"You've been doing my work all week. I hope you didn't fuck it up."

"I did my best sir! I could never ruin such a thing."

Erd stared up at him, awe hiding behind a professional calm in the depths eyes. Levi gave an approving nod as he scanned over the first page.

"You did well. The reports on the evidence for the Maria Trost case are well-written. Thank you."

The man reddened, stammering something unintelligible as Levi stared him down.

There were tired bags under the man's eyes. The rims of the whites were red and bloodshot. He was obviously fatigued. Or hungover. One could never tell with Erd.

But with the stack of papers next to him, Levi assumed that the first solution was correct.

"Go home." He repeated. "You look like shit. Get some sleep and come in tomorrow."

"But, Mr. Lordes might-."

"That was an **order.**"

Thanks rushing out of his mouth, Erd quickly gathered his things and departed. Levi lifted the papers by the tray, and continued on his rounds.

"Gunter,"

A young, dark haired male looked up from his desk, sporting a tired grin.

"Captain Levi. Good morning sir. Has the sudden family issue ended?"

"Something like that." Levi didn't go into details. He was still trying to work them out himself. He didn't want his entire crew in on it if he could help it.

"You look bored sir. Is detective work too dull for you?"

"It's interesting. Not as much fighting, but it's interesting."

"You'll always be one of us special agents."

Levi scoffed, turning away. "You and Bossard remind me daily. '_Come back to us Captain.' 'We need you captain.'"_

Gunter reddened, coughing into his fist.

"I-I don't actually sound like that do I?"

Levi remained silent. Desperately grasping for a new subject, Gunter looked around. His eyes remained fixed on the investigator's hands for a few moments.

"You get into a tussel Captain? Those look pretty bad."

Ah yes. That fight with the demon really did a number on his knuckles. They were still sore from all the punches he threw. She was made of rock, that thing. The bruises on his chest were a hideous violet as well.

"Just a little alleyway fight. I saw worse when I was 10."

"Even so, you should go to Nanaba. She'll patch you up."

"I'm sure he will."

Nanaba was their top Operations Manager, despite having a degree in the Medical field. He had gone all the way to Harvard on full-scholarship. Levi would be lying if he said that he didn't find the man impressive.

"Go home. You and Bossard are as tired as hell. You two will only fuck things up if you try working."

Gunter gave his captain a weary smile, clapping a hand on the shorter man's shoulder in farewell before departing.

After this meeting, Levi spoke to no one else. He stopped at his neat, spotless desk simply to place the papers down. A light brush across the desk allowed a nice coolness to sink into his palm. Facial expression impassive, he looked at his dustless finger.

Someone had been cleaning up for him. He had trained his crew well.

A small throb of pain tingled in his fingers as he flexed his hand. A short trip to the second floor wouldn't hurt. He would just run up before sitting down to do his work.

"Good morning Captain. I haven't seen you in hear in…a year I think it's been?"

Levi took a seat, extending his hands out towards the blond.

"Yes. It'll be a year tomorrow."

His room was neat. Just like how he remembered. He had received many injuries back in his special agent days. The only person with enough medical experience to take care of him was the caring human before him.

Petite hands worked fast as they reached into drawers, pulling out bandages and antiseptics.

"Just like old times." Levi said monotonously. The man opposite him grinned, dabbing alcohol on any open wounds.

"If I correctly recall, you would sit there in silence as I told you all my problems. How embarrassing."

"Not really." Levi said dully, looking down as the other did his work. "I needed someone to dress my wounds and you needed someone to listen to your problems. Equivalent trade at its finest…Your binding needs adjusting."

Nanaba glanced down, let out an annoyed mutter, and adjusting the clothing article.

"It's been doing that all day." He said with a groan.

"Then get a new one."

"I don't have that kind of money."

Levi raised a brow.

"The perils of being a transgender." Nanaba rolled his eyes with a small grin. Levi cocked his head to the right as he gazed at the manager.

"Did you ever get that book written? Correct me if I'm wrong, but binders being expensive was Peril number-."

"89." The two said in unison. Nanaba's grin widened into a broad smile.

"You remembered."

"You talked about the same perils every day. It would be hard to forget."

The other only hummed happily, reaching for Levi's other hand. A lurid thought suddenly passed through his mind, making him frown. Levelly, he looked at the blond behind the desk.

"Nanaba."

"Yes sir?"

"You're alright now?"

A flash of knowing crossed sky blue eyes, before they softened fondly.

"Yes Captain. Thank you for your concern. Everyone's been very kind."

He nodded, falling silent as he was told the updates in the manager's life.

It really was like old times. Nanaba's personality hadn't changed much. He was still the level-headed, intelligent person he was a year ago that Levi went to when he needed a smart conversation. The fact that his work relationships had improved was a relief. It was one of the worries he had when he had switched jobs. Despite him being in the office more, as a detective, he never really had an excuse to visit Nanaba. They hadn't properly spoken in a long time.

It was necessary though. As a special agent, he would spend too much time in a dangerous field. He was capable of handling himself. He was the most skilled fighter in their department. But the battlefield was full of surprises.

If he died, he wouldn't be able to solve his parents' murder. Being a detective allowed him access to much more information than before, along with time to follow up on it.

This seemed to be useless, however, since he wasn't any closer than he was before. The only information he had was an alias.

Apparently, his father had been close to a man who called himself 'Titan'. This man resided in California for a long period of time, but after his father's death, he had vanished. No traces of him anywhere. The number 'Titan' had used to call his father was disconnected the same day they died.

"Captain Levi." Nanaba's voice shocked him out of his reverie. A twinge of guilt coursed through him as he realized he wasn't pay his companion the attention he deserved. He pulled his hand away, staring down at the bandage.

"I didn't get to say this before you switched jobs but…_Thank You."_

Shocked, Levi looked up to find the other with a ghost of red on his cheeks.

"You were really the first one to accept me. All the other referred to me as a girl even when I asked them not to and you were the only one who supported me through the whole self-realization and transition stuff. You even helped me pay for the first binder. S-So, thanks for being there for me I guess…"

Nanaba looked up at the ceiling towards the end of his speech, lips pursed as a bashful blush spread down his slender neck.

Levi had never really seen his actions as anything out of the ordinary. They came naturally. He was liberal by nature, though most liked assuming the opposite. So when Nanaba asked to be referred to as a male, he believed it to be common sense to abide to his wishes and do as such. It wasn't a huge issue to him.

He only really cared for the brain in that blond head.

But, if he was to be thanked for it, then he might as well accept it graciously.

Levi stood. With three quick strides, he was in front of his companion, ruffling short blond hair.

"Tch. Don't think too much. You'll get wrinkles quicker. I'm gonna go take a piss."

Yep. Gracious as fuck.

"Ah! Wait! Director Lordes was looking for you."

Balto Lordes was his boss and, to be blunt, the most annoying man Levi had ever had the misfortune of coming across. He was a selfish, conceited bastard with a complete disregard for his subordinates. Levi despised the man and preferred to avoid him when he could.

In this situation he was directly summoned. He had no choice but to go to the tech room.

"Aurou's not in today?" He asked the brunette sitting at the main computer.

"He had a date with his girlfriend."

Oh. That's right. Auruo and Petra. They hooked up.

His day was just getting worse by the minute.

"Pull Lordes up." Levi said stoically. It didn't take much effort to pull his face into neutrality at first; when the balding man came up on screen was a completely different story.

He struggled not to glare as the man stared down at him condescendingly, stuffing chocolates into his mouth.

He was so _disgusting_. Who honestly smeared chocolate all over their mouths without cleaning it up? His oral cavity resembled a friggin' turd. For fuck's sake did he not care about how he looked in front of his subordinates? Who gave him that position any-?

"Oh, you're making quite the face Captain."

"I was born this way sir. I believe I'm on the right track."

"You were born with a permanent look of constipation?" The plump man raised a brow on the digital screen, popping another chocolate into his mouth. "No wonder Petra left you for Auruo."

"At least she agreed me in the first place. Shit, you ain't even got a girl to brag about."

The silence was deafening. The brunette from before, held a hand to her mouth, eyes wide and tearing up from mirth. She hid under the table to try and calm herself as Director Lordes turned red.

"Such insolence! Your mother would be ashamed!"

"I ain't got a mama." Levi replied. Throughout the conversation, his face remained apathetic. He was bored, completely disinterested in the trade-off of thinly veiled insults.

"Oh that's right. You're an orphan. Well, Mr. Smith, seeing as how you can't keep _any_ woman in your life,"

Levi winced. Lordes didn't notice.

"I'll have to ask you to keep an eye out for a man. He goes by the name of Dot Pixis. Pull up his image Ymir."

The brunette nodded, fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard.

An elderly man smiled at Levi in a photo. His grin was cheery and kind, suiting his warm hazel eyes that were bright with a hint of mischief. He was like an old grandfather. He didn't look to be anything special.

"Is he an immediate threat? I'll arrange for my team to eradica-."

"No." The man intervened quickly. Cobalt eyes narrowed at this suspicious behavior. Lordes coughed into his fist, turning away from the screen.

"Just watch out for him and tell me if you see him. He should be harmless. I think he might have a lead on your parents' case."

Levi stiffened, mood turning dark. This old man knew what happened to his parents? Did he do it? Was he a friend of his fathers? Did he know what 'Titan' meant?

Lordes just continued to talk. He didn't give any useful information.

"Don't do anything to him unless he pulls a gun on you. You need to be armed at all times. Ymir!"

The woman approached him with a sinister smirk. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she handed him a black revolver with a wink.

"If it isn't The Colt," He muttered, attaching the holster to his waist.

"What?"

"I understand the task sir." Levi said loudly, sighing.

"Very well. As you were." Then the video call disconnected. Ymir turned to him, smirking.

"You're a funny guy."

The woman still hadn't taken her hand off his shoulder. Eyelashes fluttering, she bit her lower lip, bringing Levi's attention to how pale and dry they were.

"Maybe you could take me out for a drink?" She asked lowly, snaking her hand up to his neck.

Disgusted, Levi took a step back.

"The only place I'd take you is CVS. We'll get chapstick for your ashy, peeling lips, some Neutrogena for that zit on your nose and tweezers for your eyebrows. If you're still thirsty, I'll let you buy yourself a bottle of VitaminWater because you honestly do not need that sugary confection they call soda in your system." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he watched as her eyes widened out of shock and horror.

"Ymir, this has been an intervention. Check yourself because you will end up wrecking yourself."

Turning on the heel of his boots, he walked right out the way he came, ignoring the curses thrown at his back.

When he returned home, tired and slightly sweaty, the last thing he expected was to be wrapped in a tackle hug.

"Welcome home sir!"

"…Get off me Jaeger."

Frowning, the angel stepped back, uttering something under his breath. One sharp look from Levi had him standing at attention, wings shooting straight up.

"You need to stop that physical contact nonsense." He said, brushing imaginary dirt particles off his shoulders. Eren squirmed.

"It's how my people greet sir."

Levi removed his jacket and placed it on the rack. His boots were placed by the door next to Eren's.

"Well your people obviously don't know about direct disease transmission."

Eren wisely chose not to say anything, watching as the man walked around the house, analyzing every corner. Levi was impressed. It was relatively clean considering the two brats were there alone. Speaking of brats…

"Where's Sasha?"

"She had to…take care of some business." Eren hesitated to answer, looking at his feet.

"Sounds shady."

"She'll be fine. I know it."

The teen clenched his fist in resolution. The way he said that threw Levi off. In the back of his mind, a small worry grew for the girl's safety. It was Eren's curious sniffing that stopped this thought in its tracks.

"What's wrong with you? Are you a dog?"

"Your shoulder smells like…" Eren's eyes narrowed as he grabbed Levi, pulling him forward so he could take a long whiff.

"_**Daemon Malum**_." The angel said darkly. His expression contorted into one of unexplicable rage. Grasping at Levi's arm he took one long whiff and snarled.

"What's wrong boy? Did Sasha get stuck in a well?"

"Very funny." Eren took a step back, releasing Levi's wrist. Staring at Levi's shoulder warily, he questioned,

"Did anything touch you recently? Like on your way home recently?"

"Would I let anything that I didn't like touch me?"

"Invisible spirit then." Eren cautiously took a step forward, looking up at Levi shyly. "I-I kind of need to lick your shoulder."

…What?

Levi's reply came in the form of a kick to the shin and walking straight into the kitchen. Eren lifted himself into the air with his wings, clutching the leg.

"It'll be quick!"

"That's absolutely disgusting. Stay away from me."

"You have a malignant scent on you. Something tried to imprint on you. You could be in danger. Your life is in jeopardy!"

Levi paused. Picking up on this, Eren came closer, resting his head on the 'infected' shoulder.

"Don't you have goals you need to accomplish? This demon scent is strong. Almost as strong as an imprint. It'll attract demons from miles away. You'll be attacked and the sun is setting. I won't be able to defend you."

"I can help myself."

"Surrounded by a pack of the most powerful demons hell has to offer? Forgive me sir, but I don't think that'll end well for either of us."

Levi scowled at the cherry young adult. "And you licking my shoulder will accomplish what exactly?"

"My saliva is holy water."

Eren sounded proud of himself. The detective only rolled his eyes, drawing down his shirt.

"I should've known. Make it quick and do _not_ spit on me."

Eren nodded. He looked down at the bare shoulder for a few moments, eyes narrowed in concentration. Levi assumed that he was looking for the worst spot as the other's nose lightly dragged up and down his skin.

The tip was cold against his warm skin. As light breaths collided, they seemed to burst on contact, sending electric sparks running from the area straight to the center of his being.

Quickly, the slim, wet muscle connected with his shoulder. Eren did _something_ with the tip. He seemed to be making some kind of mark.

"What is that?"

And just like that, the contact disappeared.

"A rune." Eren replied. "The rune of purifying."

"Can I scrub it off now?" The wetness was getting uncomfortable really fast. Holy water or not, it came from Jaeger's mouth. "I hope you brushed your teeth today."

"Sasha brought my toothbrush down for me. And, no, the rune needs to set in. Suck it up and keep my mark there."

Ignoring the last bit, Levi focused on the first. He pointed up to the ceiling.

"So she's…"

"Yup. Not for long though. She'll be back."

"There goes all my hopes and dreams." Levi said dryly. He opened a pack of pasta. Eren leaned against the counter, arms crossed as he analyzed the elder man.

"You're really angry all the time. You need to lighten up."

He didn't reply, placing a pot on the stove. Eren took this as an invitation to continue talking.

"I mean, all humans are pretty grumpy lookin' but you seem to have it worst."

The elder man leaned back against the refrigerator, waiting for the pot to heat up. Turquoise eyes gazed down at him, accompanied by a pout, when suddenly something changed. The turquoise lightened until they were a bright amber, matching the glow around rising white wings. A toothy smile grew on the other's face as he jumped excitedly into the air. Levi could practically see the work of a new idea running its course in the others mind as he zipped all over the kitchen.

"You're grumpy because you're too close to the ground, even for human standards! You need to get up!"

Amber eyes turned to fix him with an excited gaze and grin.

"You need to _fly!"_

Without allowing Levi to protest, Eren grabbed the man, threw him over his shoulder, shut off the oven and ran through the back door.

"Jaeger."

"Hold onto me."

The setting sun brought out the brightness in the exhilarated ambers staring down at him. Any protests Levi had fled from his mouth as it turned dry.

_Short life filled with new experiences_, he reminded himself as he grasped onto the outstretched arm.

What he didn't expect was to shoot up into the air faster than he could let out a curse. Eren laughed, a light carefree jingle that was all too pleasing to the ear, as he clutched at the younger's shoulder like a lifeline.

They were well above the trees, simply hovering in space. The gentle beating of Eren's wings repeated steadily as the teen propelled them. Levi's breath was seized as he gazed about.

He could see everything. The way the sunset cast a blend of warm colors throughout the horizon, embedding them in a torrent of crimson and orange. How clouds dyed pink lazily drifted across the sky, their edges laced with light lavender shades. People small enough to be compared to insects went about their daily lives in the streets beyond the entry of his house. He looked down at them until a cotton veil obscured his view.

Secured only by the strong arm around his waist, he craned his head to see where the angel was looking.

Ambers were focused directly on the orb of orange before them. The colors cast over his skin seemed to make him appear ethereal. A dark auburn air-brushed his skin, lightening into a spot of orange on the tip of his nose.

"It's so beautiful." The teen whispered. His words swirled in the air for moment, lingering between the two, before a gentle gust swept them away.

Gunmetal blue eyes, hooded for fear of showing too much, remained stuck on the seraph before him.

"Yeah," He whispered back. As the words before, this murmured statement stayed, commemorating their mutual agreement before amber eyes drifted.

When their eyes met, he felt a jolt run down his spine. Once again, his chest threatened to burst and his throat grew constrained. Every single sensation was too intense. It was uncomfortable.

But he would never look away. Never.

"_Let's fly,"_ Eren's words were lost as they burst forward with a powerful thrust of his wings. They zipped through the air, wind whipping at their faces and mussing their hair.

They escalated higher, leaving all heavy thoughts and worries behind them. He felt light as they flew. It was as if the entire world was available to him, within the grasp of his outstretched fingertips.

And for once, his apathetic expression changed into one of wonder and amazement. Eren, with a wild laugh, spun them around and zipped them around the atmosphere. Then Levi was dropped. The world around him slowed as he twisted and turned. The thud of his heartbeat resounded in his ears as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

A brilliant skyfall.

Then those strong arms caught him, securing his waist in their hold.

It was strange because Levi had the felt the feeling of flying before. This was nothing new.

It was when he stared into deep amber that the sensation was born anew each and every time.


End file.
